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Clearing Up the Confusion Around Rivian R2 and LiDAR
There’s been a lot of mixed messaging and confusion around how Rivian plans to launch R2, so I want to clearly lay out what we know today and how this rollout is actually going to work.
Rivian will launch R2 in early 2026 with Gen 2 autonomy hardware. This is the same autonomy stack that’s currently shipping in today’s Gen 2 R1T and R1S. That means cameras and radar only, no LiDAR, and no next-generation Rivian silicon at launch. Early R2 vehicles will ship exactly like this, with no hidden hardware waiting to be unlocked later.
tl;dr
- R2 launches in early 2026 with Gen 2 autonomy hardware and no LiDAR
- Later in 2026, R2 adds Gen 3 autonomy hardware with Rivian silicon and LiDAR
- Early R2 vehicles cannot be upgraded to Gen 3 or retrofitted with LiDAR
- Choosing R2 early vs later comes down to timing versus next-gen autonomy hardware
Later in 2026, Rivian will introduce a revised R2 that includes Gen 3 autonomy hardware. This is the big upgrade many people have been talking about. Gen 3 brings Rivian’s new in-house silicon along with LiDAR, creating a more advanced and redundant perception stack designed to support Rivian’s long-term autonomy roadmap.
This is where expectations need to be set clearly. Based on everything Rivian has shared with us so far, there will be no hardware upgrade path from Gen 2 to Gen 3. If you buy an early 2026 R2, you will not be able to swap in the Gen 3 computer later. You also will not be able to retrofit LiDAR into those early vehicles. The hardware difference is fundamental, not a simple add-on.
That distinction matters because some buyers are assuming early R2s are future-proofed or quietly equipped for later upgrades. They are not. Early R2 buyers will get a capable autonomy platform similar to today’s Gen 2 R1 vehicles, but the full Gen 3 experience will require buying a later-build R2.
None of this is necessarily bad news, but it is important context for anyone planning their purchase timing. If you want R2 as soon as possible and are comfortable with Gen 2 autonomy, early 2026 is your window. If you want Rivian’s next-generation autonomy hardware and LiDAR baked in from day one, waiting for the later 2026 R2 refresh is the only path.
Rivian hasn’t officially labeled this as a “refresh,” but functionally that’s what it is. Two very different hardware configurations under the same R2 name, launching months apart, with no crossover or upgrade path between them. Knowing that upfront should help buyers make a more informed decision instead of relying on speculation or wishful thinking.
Here’s my very uninformed and lightly read on this. Lidar is for ground truth tracking at greater distances at 900 ft. RJ has said that the cameras will do the work that the eye can see, but lidar will be doing the work the eye / cameras / radars cant. This seems 1) great for training purposes and obvs adds an additional more complete picture of whats happening but my expectation is that training from the later released R2s with Lidar will help inform / train the Gen 2 / early R2s so all benefit from the platform Gen 2 and above. Im not reading Lidar is being a deal breaker – tho I want the latest and greatest… It doesnt seem like at least for the next few years, this makes a massive difference in ability.
Is that accurate? Im going to keep researching and reading the details – But this is what Im picking up so far. Unfortunately, I wont be able to wait til the later release with Lidar, so this could just be me trying to connect the dots to being ok with not waiting. Curious what others are seeing and how far off I am on this read.
Will all Late 2026 R2s include Gen 3 Hardware on all trim levels? Or will this only be available on mid and high level trims?
Sadly no information on that yet but if I had to guess, all models would have it.
It might be helpful to point out ALL of the differences between Gen 2 and Gen 3 hardware. For example, I saw somewhere that Gen 3 will include higher resolution cameras and improved radar sensors.
I am slowly working on a whole post about this but want to ensure I have all the data correct since it’s kind of all over the place!
I’d encourage people to watch the Autonomy & AI Day presentation if they have the time. I thought that made everything pretty clear. I’m going from recollection now, but on the spectrum from Universal Hands Free to Point-to-Point to Eyes-Off to Personal L4, I’d say LiDAR/Gen 3 is required for everything Eyes-Off and above. Unless RJ said otherwise maybe there’s a small chance for Eyes-Off on Gen 2 hardware but likely based on their confidence level. Other than that, LiDAR/Gen 3 hardware is for them to ramp as fast as possible to these capabilities.
I don’t know if this is going to be reality. If you buy an R2, and a year later, or less, they tell you that you had to have LiDAR for all eyes-off and for personal L4, I think they would risk sales of the R2, and run into alienation users like they did with Gen1.
However, if LiDAR provides BETTEr of all that, plus it becomes their ground truth fleet, they get the best of both worlds. I just think it’s unlikely, seeing the frustration from those with a Gen1 they would be unlikely to risk alienating people again.
so lets put out a vehicle that won’t be the latest and greatest …
I wonder how many r2s they are going to sell initially….
It’s technology. “Latest & greatest” lasts about 24 hours until the next upgrade. Unless you bought a phone in the last couple of months you don’t have the latest and greatest. Same for laptops, tablets. Even household appliances. Pick a point that you can be happy with . . . for a while . . . and jump in. Or stay out waiting for the ever looming next upgrade.
Boy, it sure seems like a headache for the software development team to have a handful of early R2s with totally different hardware and sensors. So basically there will be a gen 1 R2 followed by a gen 2 R2 in roughly 6-9 months. I’m not sure who would want one knowing that a vastly superior model will make the early ones obsolete in just a few months.
Also, I wonder if the early reservation holders will be able to pass on the gen 1 R2 and put their reservation on “hold” for 6-9 months waiting for the gen 2 R2. Or will they be forced to take it or give up their reservation and get in line again for the gen 2.
While watching the Automation Day event, I had to wonder why launching R2 in early 2026 is so important to Rivian that they’re willing to immediately obsolete it by the end of the year. Unless there are amazing 24-month lease terms when R2 launches, I would be unwilling to purchase one due to the insane depreciation that will happen within the first 12 -18 months. We’ve already seen how Gen 1 R1 vehicles have been pushed to the side by Rivian in favor of Gen 2. All the Gen 2 hardware (R1.2 and R2.1) equipped vehicles will almost certainly experience the same by 2027.
Unless you are an impulse buyer, let Rivian work out the manufacturing defects on the early R2 vins that roll off. There will always be really frustrating NVH issues like rattles and noises that are part of early VINs like on Gen 1s. Patience is a virtue… might get a refined product with better technology suite? So for me and my impulse control, it’s good … will help me wait until they get all the kinks worked out with few thousand early VINs. A valuable lesson learned from g1 R1T.
Excellent recap. Thank you. Rivian should realize they should have provided this level of clarity. And we should look towards clarifying the “Gen” usage. Gen 1 and Gen 2 were R1S/R1T specific and referred to entirely different builds of the same vehicle. Now “Gen 3” is creeping into the conversation and it’s being used with a car (R2) that hasn’t even landed a “Gen 1” yet. Gen 3 seems to be the way we’re referring to the sensor package only, not the overall generation of a specific vehicle. This is going to get confusing quickly if we don’t set some definitions down.
I’ll just wait for R3🤣
Thanks for the clarification. Wish Rivian would have been clearer on autonomy day.
I, too, am disappointed that I won’t be able to get the Gen 3 R2 in H1 of next year, but technological progress has its own pace.
My guess is that Rivian is planning to sell the Gen 2 R2 for $45k price they initially described, and Gen 3 will cost more. As it should. The R2 price is already too low, as I don’t think they factored in three years of inflation when they announced initial pricing. There’ll be a lot of hype when the R2 comes out, and I suppose there’ll be enough early adopters to sell as many as they can make, especially if they signal that the $45k price will only be available for the first six months.
Personally, I’ll wait for Gen 3. But there could be enough people who don’t want autonomy to buy the initial inventory. For early 2026, it’ll still be the best buy until Gen 3 comes out.
Also, Rivian needs to get a better naming strategy. “R” + [1, 2, 3] + [“S”,”T”, “”, “x”] + Gen[1,2,3…n]. Easy for a computer, hard for a human. “1” means truck or SUV, so it also gets a modifying “S” or “T.” “2” doesn’t get a modifier, even though it’s visually and functionally similar to the 1S. “3” gets an optional “x.” And then they all get different “Generation” versions for the hardware. Rivian was being accurate by saying R2 comes out early 2026 and Gen 3 comes out in late 2026, but Gen 3 only applies to R2 for now. How could consumers not get confused by that!?
I’m surprised there is no hardware upgrade path between generations. Most of us do not treat cars like phones and upgrade every generation for the newest tricks gadgets. Seems like the goal is to improve and iterate than create a platform that evolves. I couldn’t find any patents for their custom silicon and with memory prices as they are; I’d expect some bottlenecks to come out. How many different skus do they have at this point?
Tell me that the “launch edition” R2 is already obsolete without telling me that the “launch edition” R2 is already obsolete. I know there are deadlines to meet, but shy of announcing the R2 with the slogan “R2, don’t buy it yet” Rivian is doing themselves and their customers a great disservice by announcing that their next great product’s most talked about feature is its planned obsolescence. No interest in being left behind again. For context, I became a Gen 1 R1S owner in the same month Gen two started delivering. I got my Intel MacBook Pro a month before Apple switched to their own silicone chips. I consider myself fairly tech savvy and usually update my phone every year and a half or so, unfortunately I can’t afford to do that with my cars.
Absolutely agree with this! I’m puzzled at why Rivian would make such an announcement this close to the R2 launch. Most automakers are coy about future hardware enhancements and timelines but Rivian is shooting themselves in the foot here. Anyone out there saying differently is ignoring the facts. Big Rivian fan and Gen 1 R1 owner here and have slowly grown disappointed in Rivian’s approach on how they go about releasing hardware and software enhancements. They’re unnecessarily aging their products by not trying to think multiple steps ahead. They’re unnecessarily aging their vehicles by never thinking far enough ahead as it relates to hardware. It’s hurting them and it’ll be more impactful with the R2 and broader customer base.
Rivian is going to spend most of 2026 ramping up R2 production. The output for first half of 26 is going to be pretty limited. This is a good way of tempering demand while giving people something to drool over.
They are betting there are enough buyers for these early build to take this limited production quantity.
2027 R2 Gen 3 will be coming out just in time for the Normal factory to be at full capacity. This 2027 model switchover will be sometime in 2026.
This is super helpful Jose thank you!!!!
I wonder if the timing aligns with the release of Gen3 R1 series?